U.S. patent application number 10/922672 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-23 for audio system with removable digital media player.
Invention is credited to Remy Trotabas.
Application Number | 20060039263 10/922672 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35909481 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060039263 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Trotabas; Remy |
February 23, 2006 |
Audio system with removable digital media player
Abstract
An audio system with a removable digital media player is
presented. The invention comprises a base unit that can receive
encoded audio signals, output audio signals to a speaker or other
audio output device, and interface with a removable digital media
player. The digital media player interface may have the ability to
receive signals from and output signals to the removable digital
media player, and can also charge the battery of the digital media
player. The base unit may also contain a memory for buffering and
storing output signals from the digital media player or other audio
input data. The base unit may also provide advanced playback
options of stored audio inputs, including the ability to pause,
rewind, record, and replay live audio inputs. Additionally, the
base unit of the system may include a removable faceplate.
Inventors: |
Trotabas; Remy; (Bartlett,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCDONNELL BOEHNEN HULBERT & BERGHOFF LLP
300 S. WACKER DRIVE
32ND FLOOR
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Family ID: |
35909481 |
Appl. No.: |
10/922672 |
Filed: |
August 20, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
369/86 ;
369/30.01; G9B/31; G9B/33.004; G9B/33.028; G9B/33.03 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 33/124 20130101;
G11B 33/025 20130101; G11B 31/00 20130101; G11B 33/122 20130101;
B60R 11/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
369/086 ;
369/030.01 |
International
Class: |
G11B 3/74 20060101
G11B003/74 |
Claims
1. An audio system with a portable digital media player interface,
the audio system comprising: a base unit having an internal bay
into which a portable digital media player with a power supply is
introduced in a set direction of introduction and ejection; an
audio processing unit that accepts at least one audio data input
and outputs at least one amplified analog audio signal; a first
control panel that permits a user to adjust the audio input and
output properties of the audio processing unit; and a digital media
player interface located within the base unit that permits audio
data to be transferred from the portable digital media player to
the audio processing unit.
2. The audio system of claim 1 wherein the base unit has a front
panel with a slot through which the digital media player is
introduced into the internal bay of the base unit.
3. The audio system of claim 2 further comprising a faceplate that
covers the front panel and is attached to the front panel with a
hinged attachment allowing the faceplate to fold away from the
front panel and allow access to the slot in the front panel.
4. The audio system of claim 3 wherein the faceplate is detachable
from the front panel.
5. The audio system of claim 3 wherein the first control panel is
located on the faceplate.
6. The audio system of claim 1 further comprising a second control
panel that operates remotely to communicate with the audio
processing unit and adjust the audio input and output properties of
the audio processing unit.
7. The audio system of claim 6 wherein the audio system is housed
in an automobile having a steering wheel and the second control
panel is located on the steering wheel of the automobile.
8. The audio system of claim 1 further comprising a transfer
mechanism that inserts the music player into and ejects the music
player out of the base unit automatically.
9. The audio system of claim 1 wherein the power supply of the
portable digital media player is rechargeable.
10. The audio system of claim 9 further comprising an adapter for
powering the digital media player and recharging the power supply
of the digital media player.
11. The audio system of claim 1 wherein the digital media player
interface is an electrical contact interface that allows
communication between the digital media player and the audio
processing unit through a wired connection.
12. The audio system of claim 1 wherein the digital media player
interface is a wireless interface that allows communication between
the digital media player and the audio processing unit through a
wireless connection.
13. The audio system of claim 1 wherein the audio data transferred
from the portable digital media player to the audio processing unit
is in an analog format.
14. The audio system of claim 1 wherein the audio data transferred
from the portable digital media player to the audio processing unit
is in a digital format.
15. The audio system of claim 1 wherein the digital media player
interface permits the user to control the functionality of the
digital media player through the first control panel.
16. The audio system of claim 15 further comprising means for
controlling the functionality of the digital media player through a
digital media player interface and using the first control
panel.
17. The audio system of claim 1 further comprising: a memory that
outputs stored encoded audio data to the audio processing unit; and
means for converting analog audio inputs to encoded audio data and
storing said encoded audio data in the memory.
18. The audio system of claim 17 wherein the digital media
interface also permits audio data to be transferred from the audio
processing unit to the portable digital media player.
19. The audio system of claim 18 further comprising a microphone,
wherein said means for converting analog audio inputs to encoded
audio data and said digital media player interface permits
recordings made through the microphone to be digitally transferred
to the portable digital media player.
20. The audio system of claim 19 wherein the data memory and the
instruction memory comprise a single memory unit.
21. The audio system of claim 1, further comprising a slot frame
located within the internal bay that, when the digital media player
is manually introduced into the base unit, translates the digital
media player to a position that allows the digital media player and
the digital media player interface to communicate.
22. A base unit for an audio system, comprising: an internal bay
configured to accept a portable digital media player with a power
supply in a set direction of introduction and ejection; and a slot
frame located within the internal bay that, when the digital media
player is manually introduced into the base unit, translates the
digital media player to a position that allows the digital media
player and the digital media player interface to communicate.
23. An audio system configured to accept a portable digital media
player having a memory into an internal bay, the audio system
comprising: a base unit having an internal bay into which a
portable digital media player is introduced in a set direction of
introduction and ejection; an audio processing unit that accepts at
least one audio data input and outputs at least one amplified
analog audio signal; a control panel that permits a user to adjust
the audio input and output properties of the audio processing unit;
a digital media player interface located within the base unit that
permits audio data to be transferred from the portable digital
media player to the audio processing unit; a memory unit that
outputs stored encoded audio data to the audio processing unit; and
means for converting analog audio inputs to encoded audio data and
storing said encoded audio data in the memory unit.
24. The audio system of claim 23 further comprising means for
storing the encoded audio data from the memory unit in the digital
media player memory.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of audio systems
and, more specifically, to audio systems with removable digital
media players.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Home and automobile audio systems generally use compact disc
technology to provide portable high-quality recorded audio. Compact
discs, which are the media utilized to store the audio data for
this technology, are only capable of storing approximately eighty
minutes of music per disc. As a result, users of this technology
generally keep a large number of compact discs at hand to provide
easy access to a diverse music collection. The compilation of a
large number of compact discs can become problematic in areas where
space is limited, such as an automobile.
[0003] Recently portable digital music players have been introduced
that have large data storage capability. The large memories found
in many of these devices, coupled with advanced data compression
techniques, allow some portable digital music players to store the
equivalent number of hours of music as approximately 500 compact
discs. Given their relatively small size, the data density of
current portable digital music players is shown to be several
orders larger than compact discs, and is a more conducive method of
audio storage for enclosed spaces.
[0004] Safety laws generally prohibit a person from engaging in
activities that directly impair their sense of hearing while
driving an automobile, thereby preventing a driver from enjoying
the benefits of portable music player through the use of
headphones. However, a driver is generally legally able to utilize
the built-in sound system of an automobile in order to enjoy music
while driving.
[0005] In the past, specialized adapter kits have been utilized
which convert the analog outputs of portable music devices to a
form that can be read by the audio receiver system of automobiles.
Generally, these adapter kits utilized either the magnetic cassette
tape reader or the radio receiving antenna as an interface between
the digital audio source and the audio receiver. Despite its
relative convenience, the use of either the magnetic heads or the
radio receiving antenna to transmit audio data often resulted in a
sound output that was of substantially poorer quality than the
actual source data.
[0006] It would be desirable to permit owners of portable digital
media players to directly access audio data stored in their digital
media players with their car audio system or home audio system.
Such audio system architecture could help mitigate the logistical
problems associated with keeping a large audio library on hand, and
help to eliminate the need to store large amounts of voluminous
compact discs. This method would also preserve the digital sound
quality provided by the high-density digital media player memory.
Additionally, it is desirable to have an interface between the
portable digital media player and the base audio system that
permits for the simple introduction and removal of the portable
device. The user should be able to physically connect and
disconnect the portable music player with such ease as to permit
the user to maintain a focus on other activities, such as
driving.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Preferred embodiments are described below in conjunction
with the drawing figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to
like elements in the various figures, and wherein:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic of an audio system with a digital
media player connecting to a base unit through an opening in a
front face of the base unit, according to an embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic of a base unit with a resident CD
player, according to an embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a schematic of an audio system with a digital
media player connecting to the base unit through an opening in the
front face of the base unit, according to an embodiment. The base
unit has a faceplate, which is shown open. The digital media player
is partially inserted in the base unit.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a schematic of an audio system with a digital
media player connecting to the base unit through an opening in the
front face of the base unit, according to an embodiment. The
digital media player is fully inserted into the unit and the base
unit faceplate is shown closed.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a schematic of the base unit of the audio system
without the digital media player, according to an embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for using
the audio system as a digital radio recorder, according to an
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] FIG. 1 shows an audio system 10 that has a base unit 20 with
an internal active audio processing unit 27, which may include an
amplifier, a digital signal processor, and a microprocessor for
performing advanced computational functions. The audio processing
unit 27 also provides an audio output signal to an audio speaker
40. A portable and removable digital media player 30 is shown in
the process of being inserted into an internal bay located inside
the base unit 20.
[0015] The base unit 20 is similar to such devices as a car audio
system or a home audio system. The audio processing unit 27 may
have audio inputs originating from devices resident in the base
unit, such as a CD player 50 as depicted in FIG. 2, a cassette
player, a DVD player, a solid state memory port, a navigation
system, or a tuner (such as an AM tuner, an FM tuner, a satellite
radio tuner, or combination thereof.) Additionally, the audio
processing unit 27 may receive input from external audio input
sources such as a satellite radio processing unit, an external CD
changer, a cellular phone or a microphone 35 (FIG. 3). The base
unit 20 may have access ports to these external input devices.
[0016] The digital media player 30 may be capable of operating as a
standalone active device. A power source, such as rechargeable
batteries, may provide power to the digital media player 30. The
digital media player 30 may have a memory to store digital data,
particularly encoded data representative of audio signals such as
MP3 (Moving Pictures Expert Group-1 Audio Layer 3), AAC (Advanced
Audio Coding), or any similar digital audio encoding format or
combination thereof.
[0017] The user may download songs into the digital media player 30
through the digital media player connector 34 or through wireless
data transmissions from a host source of songs, such as a personal
computer, other computing device, or a network connection to a
remote music server. In one example, the user may set the digital
media player 30 into a cradle attached to a personal computer and
connect through the digital media player connector 34 to the
personal computer.
[0018] The digital media player 30 may have at least one interface
that has power contacts used to recharge the power source of the
portable digital media player 30. Additionally, the digital media
player 30 may have an interface comprising signal contacts to
permit the transmission of digital or analog signals to and from an
outside source. The signal contacts and power contacts may comprise
separate interfaces or may be components of a single interface.
[0019] When disconnected from the base unit 20, the digital media
player 30 can be operated as a standalone active music player. In
addition to the music playback capability, the digital media player
30 may have additional functionalities such as, but not limited to,
an organizer, a cellular phone and a digital camera.
[0020] The base unit 20 is shown with a digital media player
interface 24 that allows it to interface with the digital media
player 30. The slot frame 25 guides the digital media player 30 and
helps it reach its designated host position in the base unit 20. In
the designated host position, the digital media player connector 34
can mate with the digital media player interface 24.
[0021] Insertion of the digital media player 30 into the base unit
20 may be further assisted by an automatic transfer mechanism that
detects the presence of the digital media player and moves the
digital media player into host position. Similarly, the same
transfer mechanism may control the ejection of the digital media
player 30 out of the base unit 20.
[0022] When the digital media player 30 is in its host position in
the base unit 20, the data contained in the digital media player 30
can be accessed by the audio processing unit 27 of the base unit 20
and can provide audio input to the system. This input could be in
the form of an analog signal, or in a digital format representative
of audio data. The data transfer between the digital media player
30 and the audio processing unit 27 could be established through a
physical connection between the digital media player interface 24
and the digital media player connector 34, or through a wireless
transmission between the two units.
[0023] Upon connection of the digital media player 30 to the base
unit 20, the digital media player power source may be recharged
through a physical connection established between the digital media
player interface 24 and the power connector of the digital media
player 30.
[0024] By establishing an audio transfer link between the digital
media player 30 and the audio processing unit 27 of the base unit
20, the entire audio system 10 may function as a digital music
jukebox and library. For example, the base unit may access the list
of music files stored in the digital media player and offer a user
interface on the display 29, enabling the user to navigate through
the music files. Once a song is selected, it may be transferred in
digital format into memory 26, decoded, amplified through the
system amplifier 21, and output through one or more speakers 40.
Alternatively, a selected song may be decoded by the digital media
player 30, transferred in analog format to the base unit 20,
amplified through the audio system amplifier 21, and output on one
or more speakers 40.
[0025] The user may also be able to select which audio input will
be utilized by the audio system to provide output to the speaker.
The user may accomplish this through selection by the control
inputs 28. The control inputs 28 may be actual buttons or knobs, or
may be part of the display panel 29 that may incorporate, for
example, a touch screen. The display panel 29 and control buttons
28 may provide a user interface allowing the user to receive
information about the various input, output, and system parameters.
Additionally, the display panel 29 may be external to the base unit
20 or have the ability to be removed from the base unit 20.
[0026] Control of the audio system 10 may also be voice-activated
through the microphone 35. Alternatively, the system may be
controlled through a wired control system external to the base unit
20, such as a control console located on the steering wheel 41, or
through a wireless remote control system.
[0027] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show the audio system 10 according to an
exemplary embodiment, where the control buttons 28 are located on a
faceplate 22 that may flip open to enable the digital media player
30 to be inserted in frame 25 through the front face of the base
unit 20.
[0028] Additionally, the faceplate 22 may be removable as shown in
FIG. 5. Removal of the faceplate may render the base unit 20
inoperable. This is a security feature available in current
vehicular stereo systems, as an example. Typically, the user is
able to release the faceplate from the base unit through pressing a
button.
[0029] In addition to extracting audio data from the digital media
player 30 to the base unit 20, the process may also be reversed to
store audio data on the digital media player. The base unit 20 may
convert audio input from one of its audio input sources such as,
but not limited to, a radio tuner, a microphone or a cellular phone
into a digital music format and transfer the data to the digital
media player 30. Consequently, the audio system 10 may be operated
as a personal audio recorder to record live radio broadcast, memos
or phone conversations. The recordings would be stored in the
digital media player memory 32. To enable the use as a voice
recorder, the base unit 20 may incorporate a microphone 35. To
enable the recording of a cellular phone conversation, base unit 20
may incorporate an antenna to allow reception of the cellular phone
signals, or alternatively, a hard-wired connection to the cellular
phone itself. The user may control these capabilities by pressing
or otherwise accessing one or more of the control buttons 28,
through voice activation, through steering wheel controls or
through a remote control.
[0030] In addition to permanent storage of audio signals in
physical memory, the audio system 10 may utilize temporary memory
space as a method for increasing playback functionality. The base
unit memory 26 may be used to continuously buffer input audio
signals and offer pause, rewind, fast forward and replay functions
to live radio broadcast.
[0031] FIG. 6 shows a process wherein the audio system 10 can be
used as a digital radio recorder, according to an exemplary
embodiment. A media service provider 50 may offer AM, FM, or
satellite radio broadcast master programming information. The user
may access this information using the command unit 51. The command
unit 51 may be a personal computer or a network source. The user
can determine which program to record by selecting the desired
input. The list of programs to record with frequency, date and time
information can constitute a master recording plan.
[0032] A connection may be established between the command unit and
the digital media player 30 via a cable or other connection means
such as a wireless connection during which the master recording
plan may be transferred into the digital media player memory
32.
[0033] Each time the digital media player docks in the base unit
20, the base unit may check if an update to the master recording
plan is available. The base unit 20 may download the plan from the
digital media player's memory 32 and store the plan in its own
memory 26.
[0034] At the time a recording is scheduled, the base unit 20 can
tune to the desired band and frequency, convert the data stream
into a digital audio format and, depending on the user's choice,
save it in the digital media player's memory 32 if the digital
media player is docked in the base unit 20, or in a removable
physical state memory device 60.
[0035] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been
illustrated and described. It should be noted that alternatives
exist for the functions and specific components of the present
invention. It should also be noted that the figures are not drawn
to scale and are approximations of an exemplary embodiment. For
example, corners may be rounded in an exemplary embodiment, rather
than straight as depicted, as long as the general form and function
of each element is preserved. Similarly, more significant changes
in configuration and form are also possible and intended to be
within the scope of the system taught herein. It will be
understood, that variations in form and detail may be made to the
invention without deviating from the spirit and scope of the
invention, as defined by the following claims.
* * * * *